Quaaludes

What is a Quaalude?

Methaqualone, or brand name Quaalude, is a central nervous system depressant that acts as a sedative and hypnotic.  Hypnotics are drugs that induce sleep.  Quaalude or methaqualone is a DEA Schedule I controlled substance.  Basically, substances in the DEA Schedule I have no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse.  [1]

What’s a quaalude? Methaqualone is a drug, hypnotic agent used for insomnia and muscle relaxants but was taken off of the market, in the U.S., in 1983 due to its high risk of abuse.  [2]  Quaaludes were the leading brand, with the active ingredient being methaqualone.

There were plenty of different sleeping pills in the 1970s, but this drug had the highest abuse rate.  This unpatented drug has been illegal for the past 30 years because it taught authorities and the medical industry a lot.  In fact, you can pretty much thank quaaludes for the restrictions on today’s addictive prescription drugs.

Why Were Quaaludes Banned?

The DEA Intervention of Quaaludes in the U.S. Basically, the original liberal disbursement of these drugs is what made it become illegal.  Too many people had become dependent on it.  It was dangerous but easy to obtain because the medical system was making money from it.  The DEA put the epidemic to an end, they believed that quaaludes were causing more harm than good.

Gene Haislip, the former head of the Chemical Control Division of the DEA, once quoted, “we beat em.”  The problem was eliminated because the DEA worked with governments and manufacturers around the world to stop reproduction.

However, the meth addiction epidemic in the U.S. eluded Haislip sadly.  While the DEA tried comparable means to stop meth, it didn’t have the same positive result.

The rights to openly purchase Quaaludes were discontinued in the US in 1985. Ultimately, it was a combination of the drug’s strong psychological addictiveness and widespread recreational abuse that led to the downfall of ludes. By 1985, the drug was moved to Schedule I on the DEA’s list. Schedule I drugs are considered to have no legitimate medical use, have a high potential for abuse, and be lacking in safety even when used under medical supervision.

According to DEA estimates, there were 20 million Quaaludes on the streets of the US in 1980, a number they projected would double within a year. However, what happened was the precise opposite, with the problem subsiding and being effectively eliminated in a matter of a few short years. How did the DEA manage to win this war on drugs where all others seem to have roundly failed?

Well, with this drug, this was accomplished by going after the source rather than the end-user. By targeting the manufacturers of methaqualone powder all over the work and inducing them to stop production, the US government worked tirelessly to stop what was becoming a clear and present danger. At the same time as this aggressive action, doctors started to use alternative treatments for insomnia largely due to the enormous stigma generated by this medication.

President Reagan banned the domestic production and sales of Quaaludes in 1984. Despite this, there are still labs making Quaaludes in Mexico and elsewhere. The drug is still found in India and South Africa, although under different names.

• Headache
• Hangover
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Anorexia
• Nausea
• Gastrointestinal Discomfort
• Restlessness

• Transient Paraesthesia:  Paresthesia that comes and goes, usually caused by nerve pressure; it gradually disappears as the pressure is relieved.
• Dry Mouth
• Sweating
• Skin reactions have also been reported
• Aplastic Anemia:  It is a condition that occurs when your body stops producing enough new blood cells.

• Addiction
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Hallucinations
• Difficulty thinking clearly

• Impaired motor skills
• Memory loss
• Seizures
• Coma

Quaaludes Overdose Symptoms

A lethal dose would be considered 30 times what was in one quaalude tablet.  However, when combining this drug with alcohol, that dose becomes much smaller, with only two grams likely causing a coma. 

Moreover, the drug was linked to overdoses, suicide attempts, injuries, and car accidents during its peak.

This drug’s abuse can disturb your body as you harm standard mechanisms, organs, and systems.

Physical Effects May Include:

Psychological Effects 

The abuse can lead to harmful psychological effects such as:

• Delirium
• Insomnia
• Mood Disorders
• Increased Anxiety
• Depression

Social Effects

The following are ways that addiction can negatively interfere with your social life:

• Decreased social interactions
• Increased isolation and segregation from loved ones
• Withdrawal from social activities and events

• Anxiety
• Convulsions
• Delirium
• Insomnia

• Irregular Heartbeat
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Tremors

Detoxifying Your Body From Quaaludes

Detoxification should typically be performed under medical supervision to lessen the withdrawal symptoms and ensure the client’s safe recovery. 

Clients undergoing quaalude detoxification usually receive monitoring of their vital signs round the clock.  Detoxification usually occurs in a quaalude treatment facility because the withdrawal symptoms can be quite severe.  Additionally, this facility is typically a hospital or a drug rehabilitation center.

Inpatient treatment for quaalude overdose symptoms follows the detoxification phase with psychological therapy to recognize any underlying causes of the addictive behavior.  This often includes individual counseling in which the client works privately with a counselor.  In addition, this form of counseling is best on an inpatient basis in which clients have daily access to the counselors if needed.

Furthermore, behavioral therapy is a method of replacing addictive behavior with healthier responses to stressful circumstances.  This therapy combines practice with positive support to help the client achieve lasting recovery.  In addition, cognitive therapy analyzes the thoughts and feelings that drive addictive behavior, for instance.